1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to medical support carrier having an IV pole which is mounted on the back of a wheelchair frame and, more specifically, to a multi-section pole movable between an upright position and a foldable storage position.
2. Description of Related Art
Medical equipment which has to be attached to a person bound to a wheelchair limits the patient's mobility to move freely in a wheelchair. In general, most wheelchair patients are asked to hold onto free standing intravenous (IV) stands while they are being pushed along. Some patients may not be able to hold on to a movable IV stand due to their illness or age. Also, some patients need both hands to move the wheelchair themselves and would not be able to hold onto a movable IV stand. IV pumps are designed to be clamped to various sized IV stands and poles. Often it is difficult for the pusher of a wheelchair to operate a wheelchair when IV bags/bottles and IV pumps are obstructing their view.
Due to these problem poles that hold IV solution bottles and other medical equipment have been the subject of earlier patents. Several earlier patents have altered an existing wheel-based IV stand to attach to the wheelchair frame, thereby holding the IV stand a fixed distance from the wheel chair. However, if the IV stand is attached in this fashion, the stand must be removed from the wheelchair to travel through narrow or low doorways, or to be transported into ambulances.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,709,556, issued to Allard et al. on Jan. 9, 1973, describes an IV holder in the shape of an upright pole attached to portable patient conveyances such as wheelchairs and gurneys. The holder consists of an elongated tubular base, elongated tubular extension members arranged upright which can be adjusted in height in a number of positions, and brackets for attachment to the frame of the wheelchair. The holder is attached to the bottom frame member of the wheelchair. Hook shaped members are mounted on the distal end and mid-area of the upper tubular extension members for holding intravenous solution bottles.
A major problem with this type of IV holder is that not all wheelchairs have bottom frame members for attaching the tubular base. This limits the IV holder to wheelchairs with bottom frame members. This patent is also limited to holding only IV containers. The IV holder can be mounted on either side of the chair frame, however, the user must disassemble the lower tubular member and reassemble the structure on the other side of the wheelchair frame.
An IV holder needs to be attached to the wheelchair in a manner that avoids altering the natural balance of the wheelchair, to avoid causing the chair to tip or fall over. IV stands and interchangeable holders can inflict trauma to patients when an IV stand tips over or when detachable holders are moved from one side of the wheelchair frame member to the other. When IV stands and holders are moved in the above fashion, IV needles have been known to be pulled out of the patient's arms. An ideal apparatus would allow the user to be able to attach the upper detachable IV holder to either side of the wheelchair without excessive assembly.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,431,206, issued to John Pryor on Feb. 14, 1984, describes a medical accessory carrier for mounting on a wheelchair. The carrier includes a vertical lower post, a detachable upper post, and a detachable clamp for mounting to the bottom frame member of the wheelchair. This invention requires the use of retaining screws to discourage theft of the carrier. A problem with retaining screws is that the operator must have access to the key at all times. This may especially be a problem in hospital situations where emergencies occur quite frequently. If a key is lost or not easily accessible, it could endanger a patient's life.
Other patents have proposed attaching IV holders to the vertical frame members of wheelchairs. However, this poses a major problem because not all wheelchairs have vertical frame members that will support the above IV holders. U.S. Pat. No. 5,135,191, issued to James Schmuhl on Aug. 4, 1992, describes a pole for supporting IV equipment. The elongated pole comprises two different diameters with the upper pole designed to be interchangeably used with IV stands, hospital gurneys, and wheelchairs. The lower support pole is either attached to an IV stand or a vertical frame member of a wheelchair or gurney. Motorized and self-propelled wheelchairs are made in a variety of shapes and sizes.
There have been many compatibility problems associated with other patents of IV holders and their attachment to the various styles of wheelchairs that are manufactured. An ideal IV holder would not limit its use to IV bags. Other medical equipment such as a pump monitor needs to be suspended on a holder apparatus for easy transportation as well. What is needed is an IV holder which is compatible with various styles of motorized and self-propelled wheelchairs.
None of the above inventions and patents, taken either singly or in combination, is seen to describe the instant invention as claimed.